Just A Guard
by Saiyon
Summary: Bella ends up in Volterra to save Edward, only to get a lot more than she bargained for when she meets the Volturi Queens and finds out she's basically a princess. She also meets Corin, a vampire Bella can barely stand, who ends up going back to Forks with the Cullens to protect Bella until she graduates high school and can be turned. Corin/Bella endgame.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Posting this thing I wrote awhile ago because I'm still unable to write and feeling incredibly guilty about it. Once again, it won't affect any of my other stories, I'm just stuck with the worst writing block I've ever had. Hopefully I'll break through it soon, but for now, hopefully you guys will be satisfied with getting something from me._

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Chapter 1

"It's okay, Bella, I'll protect you," Edward said, wrapping an arm around the human as he dared to glare at any red eyed vampire who so much as glanced their way.

 _The one who needs to be protected is you,_ Bella couldn't help but think. Seriously though, it was Bella who had to save his ass after he tried to kill himself, and it was Edward who had gotten himself into this mess. And while Bella did love the boy, she was really curious as to where his brain went, as they were clearly outnumbered, and Edward really shouldn't be doing anything to piss anyone off. Even Alice, who was usually bubbly and bouncing all over the place, was keeping quiet and calm with her eyes on the future.

Really, they had been politely detained by the Volturi and were being delivered to the Volturi Queens here: as in, the women who would decide if they lived or died. Even Bella, who was currently scared of her mind, preferred that the Volturi stay polite and not feel the sudden urge to break Bella's body over anyone's knee.

Of course, she kept her mouth shut and her thoughts to herself; she found that keeping quiet and acting shy kept her out of a lot more trouble, and it was a lot easier to observe everyone that way. For instance, upon examining the short and scary blonde named Jane, Bella knew that she was the one most likely to torture them, and enjoy every second of it. Therefore, Bella knew it was most important to stay off of Jane's shit list, especially with that crazy power Jane had used on Edward to "convince" him to come down into the castle.

They were brought through a door, and Bella was surprised to see that they went from walking in a medieval and dark castle to a very modern reception area. With Felix and Demetri flanking them, Jane led the way. She walked right up to the woman behind the receptionist desk-a woman, Bella realized with quite a bit of surprise, who was human.

"Hello, Gianna. We are here to see the Queens," Jane told the woman with a certain tone of voice that suggested this was an everyday occasion.

"Of course," the woman replied with a bright smile. She typed something on the computer, then turned back to them and said, "The Queens will see you now."

For some reason that Bella couldn't quite understand, she found the whole exchange hilarious. So of course, this meant biting her lip and repeating the mantra of "Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh," in her head while taking and squeezing Alice's hand as hard as she could.

Even doing all of that barely got Bella through it, and she let out a relieved breath as the three of them were led through another hall, then stopped in front of a pair of very, very large doors. Then, she felt a whole new swell of anxiety as those doors were opened and Bella laid eyes on a very large, very lavish throne room, with three gorgeous, regal vampires sitting on the three thrones in the middle of the room.

"Come," the blonde woman in the middle said, beckoning everyone forward.

"Always one for the dramatics, aren't you Sulpicia?" The dark haired woman asked with a roll of her eyes, but despite how at ease and off guard she looked, Bella could tell that she wasn't one to be taken lightly-being a vampire queen aside, of course.

"Oh, hush, Didyme," the woman Bella figured was Sulpicia hiss back. "We are vampire queens and it's only fact that we should act as such."

"Drama queen," the other blonde coughed, before scowling. "I say we just kill them all and get it over with; they did break the law, after all."

"How many times must I tell you that the Cullens are old friends and should be treated as such, Athenodora?" Sulpicia shot back, arching an eyebrow at the other queen. "And no matter what you may think, death and destruction isn't always the answer."

"Oh, fuck you," Athenodora grumbled, clearly upset with her idea being shut down.

"You do, darling, at the very least every day," Didyme purred, staring at the grumpy woman from under heavy lidded eyes, looking all sexy and shit.

" I'll do it again, too; as soon as this idiocy is over," Athenodora growled back, making sure to include both of the queens. "And you better be prepared, because I plan to torture and punish both of you."

"Really now? And how do you think you'll fair in a two against one match, hm?" Sulpicia asked, turning her body towards the other blonde. "Because I think-"

Jane cleared her throat, cutting off the very interesting, and undeniably awkward conversation. The three queens turned to face the little blonde, who said, "I'm sorry to interrupt your foreplay, my Queens, but as you are aware, our guests are here and in the room."

"Oh, of course. How could we forget them like that?" Didyme said, focusing her attention on the three guests. However, she mostly focused her attention on the wide eyed, incredibly confused human who was currently wishing she didn't have to hear the queens' conversation.

Really though. Fucking? Punishment? Two against one? The straight laced, terrifying blonde that was Jane saying the word foreplay? Was this really what the Volturi, the most dangerous coven in the world, acted like? And why was she the only one showing any type of reaction while Edward and Alice kept straight faces like this was a normal, everyday occurrence when they visited?

Didyme's gasp made the human jump, although even she wasn't sure why. The quick clap and squeal from the suddenly engaged vampire made Bella jump twice more, and then quickly blush with humiliation when she heard a few of the guards snicker. Although, on the bright side, at least a few vampires looked confused by their queen's behavior. The weirdest part of all, however, was that Edward stiffened, his grip on Bella's hand tightening-when he had even grabbed Bella's hand, the human had no idea-before he let Bella go and reluctantly stepped away. Even Alice danced away from Bella, trying to hide her smile.

Bella looked towards them, shocked at the sudden one-eighty in their behavior, but didn't have a chance to ask what in the hell they thought they were doing in front of the vampires who were probably going to kill them all. Why didn't she have the chance to ask? Because a certain black haired queen was suddenly in front of her, pulling her into a tight hug that stole Bella's breath before she started swinging Bella back and forth like a rag doll.

"Didyme?" Sulpicia asked, furrowing her brows in confusion at her mate's strange behavior. Steepling her fingers, her hands resting in her lap, Sulpicia leaned forward. "Just what do you think you're doing to the possibly soon-to-be-dead human?"

"A new kind of torture?" Athenodora asked, her own calculating red eyes bright with interest.

"Oh, my mates, this is amazing news!" Didyme all but squealed as she released the human, but only to turn Bella in her arms so that the human now faced the other queens. Holding her up much like Rafiki had held up Simba in the lion king, she presented Bella to her mates. "Look! We have a daughter!"

Both Sulpicia and Athenodora inhaled sharply in surprise, staring with mouths hanging open at the human as they both felt a strange tug in their stomach. A tug that urged them to protect and care for the bewildered human that was in Didyme's arms. A human who currently had her legs kicking in the air as she gazed around the room in complete and utter confusion, as she had no idea what was happening.

"Crap," Athenodora muttered, and although she didn't look it, she was feeling pretty amazed and happy while continuing to stare at the human.

"Athenodora, language," Sulpicia chided. "Not in front of the human. Do you wish for her to think you were raised in the gutter?"

Among the stunned and befuddled guards, that last comment was too much for a particular black haired woman named Corin standing between Sulpicia and Didyme's thrones. Corin, who broke out into unrestrained, clutch-at-her-stomach, bent-over-in-two laughter that echoed around the throne room. Among the guards, some also cracked smiles at the black haired woman's behavior, like Alec and Felix, while others chose to ignore or frown at her, like Jane did. Edward, of course, scowled at the woman, while Alice quickly changed the course of her thoughts and hid her smile.

"I'm glad you find this so funny, Corin," Didyme said dryly, a small smile curling on her lips as she carried Bella much like a mother would a baby back to her throne. As she sat down, putting Bella in her lap, she added, "Just remember how much of a rare gift a familial bond is; it is not something to be looked down upon."

"I would never, my Queen," Corin assured the woman as she tried to control herself. However, she still couldn't wipe the smirk off of her face as she added, "It's just the reactions of my Queens and the human is a very...interesting...thing to witness."

Athenodora huffed and scowled at the guard as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I am not amusing, Corin."

"Of course not," Corin replied, almost cheekily. There was a reason why she usually stood between Didyme and Sulpicia and nowhere near Athenodora, and now was a perfect example of that reason. Had she been anywhere in Athenodora's strike range, she surely would have been grabbed and tossed across the room, at the very least. However, since she wasn't anywhere near Athenodora, the queen turned to Sulpicia.

"Cia," Athenodora said in complaint.

Sighing at her mate, Sulpicia reached out to cuff Corin over the head, a move that really didn't cause the guard member any damage. After all, this behavior had been going on since Corin's human days, and they really couldn't expect anything, whether it be punishment or praise, could change the woman's personality now.

"Ow," Corin said for Athenodora's benefit, but everyone could tell by the tone of her voice how fake the pain was. Thankfully, before Athenodora could do something, like demand Corin be smacked again, the human gained everyone's attention.

"Um," Bella spoke up from where she was being cradled, her face pressed tightly against Didyme's breasts, sounding, not to mention feeling, incredibly awkward due to the current situation. "No need to be rude-"

"Please, Bella," Didyme interrupted. "You may be as rude as you want. And you may also ask for whatever you want. Do so, and we will do whatever is in our power to perfect things for your liking."

"That is not a good thing to encourage, Didyme," Sulpicia hissed in scolding. "If you let her behave that way, then she will become spoiled. Do you really wish to change her like that?"

"I would love to spoil her," Didyme said with a pout. "She is our daughter, after all. However, I suppose you might be right, to some degree...perhaps I should try to moderate my desires to a certain degree."

"Oh, will you let the human speak? We can discuss the rest of this later. And Didyme, release your grip before you suffocate her," Athenodora grumbled, trying not to sound too jealous, as she wanted to be near Bella too.

"Whoops," Didyme said, and loosened her grip so that the human could not just straighten, but breathe properly.

"Thanks," Bella murmured to Athenodora, who only grunted and nodded, despite how pleased she was inside. Taking a huge breath and glancing nervously towards Alice and Edward-Edward, who only looked agitated, and Alice, who was clearly encouraging-Bella found the ability to speak. "Sorry to ask this," Bella said, struggling to remain polite, "But I was wondering, exactly what is going on here?" _And why am I sitting in the lap of a queen like I'm a four year old?_ Bella also wanted to add, but wasn't ready to yet, in fear of sounding too rude. It wasn't something she wanted to do, even if the queens did try to encourage it.

From next to her, Corin snorted and mumbled, "Not too quick upstairs, are you kid?" Without needing any encouragement, both Sulpicia and Didyme reached out to slap Corin upside the head, not nearly as gently as before. This time, Corin's entire head snapped forward, but she didn't come close to so much as stumbling. "Ow," she said, rubbing the back of her head, but no one was being very sympathetic towards her at the moment.

"Ignore Corin," Didyme murmured, stroking the human's hair in a mothering fashion. "We shall tell you everything."

And so they did. In fact, they might have told Bella a lot more than anyone, whether they be guard or Cullen or even Bella herself, found necessary. However, they were the Queens of the Volturi, and no one dared to interrupt them. So not a single person spoke besides a queen, not for an entire three hours.

By the end of it all, Bella still felt incredibly confused, but at least she understood part of what was going on.

Apparently, there was a familial bond between Bella and the three queens due to some family lineage, or simply fate. This meant that Bella was a daughter to the three queens, and they would feel this way for the rest of eternity. From this moment on, Bella would have three more mothers and more power than any vampire save for the queens themselves.

Holy shit, Bella was a fucking princess.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Once Bella's head was properly stuffed with information, the three queens finally stopped speaking and gave Bella a chance to absorb it all.

"Sorry, this is still just...well, it's just really strange and totally not what I expected when I ended up here," Bella said at last, glancing over at Alice and Edward for reassurance that the queens weren't just messing with her. Edward appeared a little grumpy while Alice appeared ecstatic, but both nodded.

"That's perfectly understandable," Didyme said with a nod.

"But we will need you to tell us everything about yourselves and your experiences," Sulpicia quickly interjected. Clearly grumpy, she then crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair. "If your mind was not closed to me, I would already know everything. But since I can't read you, you will have to take the long, annoying path and tell us everything you have experienced in your life. Starting with your birth, of course."

This got all of the queens looking at Bella expectantly, while Bella just stared at them dubiously.

"What? I can't remember my own birth!" Bella exclaimed. "I don't even remember anything until I was like four years old."

"Are you sure?" Didyme asked, her voice soft and coaxing. "I know human memories are bad, but you must remember something, right?"

"Do you?" Bella shot back.

"No, but it is hard to retain human memories once you have become a vampire. I'm sure I remembered quite a bit when I was human, however," Sulpicia replied with a sniff.

Corin stifled a chuckle under her breath, but everyone still heard her.

"Do you have something to say, Corin?" Athenodora demanded, narrowing her eyes at the other vampire.

"Nope, nothing at all," Corin replied cheerfully, flashing a winning smile at the queens. She then cocked her head to the side. "But since you will have an eternity to catch up on Bella's life, maybe you should deal with the current events first. For instance, the fact that something else besides vampires has been hanging around Bella."

Bella turned to stare at the vampire in shock. How had she known about Jacob and the wolves? Did Corin have some kind of power too?

The three queens looked from Corin to Bella, two wearing confused frowns, Athenodora wearing a scowl.

"What are you talking about?" Athenodora demanded, her voice coming out as a low growl. She hated being out of the loop, and it was very, very clear that she was missing something at the moment.

Corin tapped her nose. "It's very faint, but I definitely scent something on her. It's the smell of wet dog and trash."

"Oh?" Sulpicia, being the one who had weighed the pros and cons of keeping Corin alive before the girl first entered the guard, was the one who knew the younger vampire's abilities the best. Not only did Corin have that dangerous gift of hers, but she also could smell, see, and hear better than any other vampire she had ever come across. So if Corin said she scented something no one else could, Sulpicia knew better than to doubt it. Turning to her new daughter, she said, "What might Corin be talking about, young one?"

Bella immediately became nervous, something even the most unobservant human would notice. Who wouldn't be? She knew the lethality of the Volturi, and knew that right now, should Bella speak of the wolves, their lives would be in the Volturi's hands. But Bella was apparently a princess now, so that had to count for something now, right?"

"Bella, you must tell us. We must know of every and all threats you might be facing," Didyme said, giving Bella one of the most concerned, maternal looks Bella had ever felt. "If something were to happen to you...well, even torturing and maiming whatever harmed you for a century before ending its pathetic existence in the most painful way possible wouldn't be enough to quell our pain."

A shiver ran down Bella's spine as she could see the sincerity in Didyme's expression. How could Bella have forgotten just how dangerous these women were? "I...I think I want to stand now."

Didyme pouted and hugged Bella closer. "Why would you want to do that?" the queen complained. "I can't hug you if you're not on my lap, now can I?" She then hugged Bella to demonstrate, and Bella once again found herself being suffocated in Didyme's large chest.

"Sul...Sulpicia…" Bella gasped, reaching a hand out to the other queen desperately. Hopefully, the other queen would understand and allow Bella to go free, perhaps be allowed to stand in front of them to speak.

That hope was short lived, as Sulpicia's eyes lit up. "Of course, Bella! Didyme has kept monopolized you for much too long." She then snatched their human from Didyme's arms, and Bella now found herself being squeezed by Sulpicia, still being suffocated by a slightly smaller chest.

"Damn it," Athenodora grumbled, clearly sulking. "It's my turn next."

"My queens? I think Bella's in danger right now," Corin said, making all three queens freeze.

"What? How?" Sulpicia demanded as her two lovers scanned the nearby area for any possible threat. Not a single member of the guard twitched to defend the human, however, as they all knew what Corin was getting at.

"She's suffocating," Corin clarified, glancing at Alice with laughing eyes. The anxious pixie nodded from where she was hanging on to an angrily anxious Edward, confirming that Bella was really going to pass out if her current situation wasn't going to change soon.

"Oh, my mistake," Sulpicia said, loosening her grip on Bella to let the girl up for air. "I have forgotten how fragile humans are."

"No problem," Bella wheezed.

"This wouldn't have happened if she had stayed with me," Didyme complained.

"Please, you were the one who was suffocating first," Athenodora snapped at her. She then glanced at Bella, about to tell the human who she should be sitting with instead, but she changed her mind. She wasn't about to sound any more pathetic and needy, and she knew Sulpicia wouldn't give Bella up without a fight. A fight she would have to have with her lover later, preferably behind closed doors, as Athenodora planned to come out on top of Sulpicia, and even Didyme, in all sorts of delicious ways. Remembering what Corin had said, the last queen got back on track. "Anyways, what is this about a wet dog?"

Bella fidgeted, unsure of how to make it appear that her La Push friends weren't a threat without bending the truth. Corin watched Bella with delight; she really enjoyed watching the human's hardships. There was just something about her that made Corin want to tease her, just to see the girl get flustered or blushed.

Of course, since she doubted the queens would allow her to mess with their beloved daughter, she had to settle from finding other ways to make the human uncomfortable. Ways that wouldn't make the queens punish her in some way.

"Well, um...what Corin is probably smelling is, my...well, they're my friends," Bella started as she managed to twist herself in Sulpicia's lap so she wouldn't be talking to a pair of breasts. "Yes, they're wolves, but they're not dangerous. Well, they are dangerous towards those who attack innocent humans, but they don't just go killing at random. They protect their land. What I mean, is, um…" Bella hesitated, noticing how stoic and black eyed all three queens, and the majority of the guard, had gotten. "They've been protecting me. They already killed a vampire who tried to kill me, and before I left, they had been driving off another vampire who is still trying to kill me all the time. The only reason she isn't dead yet is because she keeps managing to escape them. So…" Bella knew she was babbling at that point, but she couldn't help it. She felt like every word she spoke would help extend the lives of the wolves for a little bit longer.

After a brief deliberation, Sulpicia decided to deal with the danger of the wolves first. Then she would question Bella about why two vampires have tried to kill her.

"Could they be children of the moon?" Sulpicia asked, turning to Athenodora. "I thought you had slaughtered them all."

"They better not be," Athenodora snarled. Her hands curled into fists as she thought about the fucking werewolves who had killed indiscriminately, putting not just vampires and humans at risk, but the secrets of the supernatural world as well.

"Bella, my child, can these wolves of yours change at will?" Didyme asked, leaning towards Bella with her hand outstretched as if she was going to touch the human. When Sulpicia jerked Bella against her with a frown, Didyme let out an annoyed hiss. "Party pooper," she shot at her mate, sticking out her tongue.

"Watch it, Didyme, or I shall put that tongue to use," Sulpicia threatened with a dark, heated look at her mate. This made Bella blush and caused both Edward and Alice to become incredibly uncomfortable, catching the sexual meaning.

"Yes, they can change at will," Bella announced quickly as she caught a look of lust in Didyme's eyes as the other vampire opened her mouth to retort. "Why, does it matter?"

Thankfully, Bella got things back on track as the three queens exchanged a knowing, relieved glance.

"Yes. Changing at will means that they can't be actual werewolves. We will still need to send someone down at some point to make sure they aren't a true threat, but now we can get on to other matters. Now, why is it that two vampires have come after your life?" Athenodora leaned towards Bella, eyes glittering with fury upon knowing that anybody would dare to attack her daughter. However, that look made Bella shrink into Sulpicia as she suddenly wondered if Athenodora blamed Bella, thinking the human had done something to make the vampires come after her. Athenodora, feeling a little hurt when Bella flinched, tried to adjust her glare into an intense stare instead.

Under the three queens' gazes, Bella couldn't help but blurt everything. It was an interesting, yet infuriating tale as they learned Bella and the Cullens' encounter with three nomads, and everything it had led to. What infuriated everyone the most was how easily the Cullens had put Bella in danger before simply leaving her to be easy prey.

"Well," Sulpicia started, barely able to contain her rage once Bella had finished speaking. She glared openly at Alice and Edward, and while Edward stiffened under the glare and looked ready to defend himself, Alice slapped a hand over his mouth before he could do something stupid. The pixie clearly knew how much they had fucked up, and seemed to be suffering from a lot of guilt and shame. "We now understand the dangers you have faced, Bella, both past and current. We will of course deal with the threat."

"It sure is a good thing that you are staying with us," Didyme added cheerfully. "If we hadn't found that you were our daughter, we would have sent you back into danger, most likely none the wiser."

Bella pulled away from Sulpicia at this, gazing at the three woman incredulously as Sulpicia and Athenodora agreed with Didyme. "What are you guys talking about? I can't stay here, I need to go home." Now there were three incredibly dangerous, incredibly powerful women frowning at her, but Bella refused to back down. "I mean it," she insisted. "I have to go home. My dad is probably freaking out, and he's going to freak out even more if I just go missing. And I still have to finish high school."

"No way," Athenodora stated flatly. "Not only is there a vampire who wants to kill you skulking around your home, but you're our daughter as well. We are going to-"

"That's the thing!" Bella exclaimed, cutting her off. The look on Athenodora's face was downright comical; no one besides her two mates, and occasionally Corin, had ever dared to interrupt her before. The other queens who have laughed at their mate, openly too, had they not been so concerned with the apparent stupidity of their daughter. "She's been in my house before. She could kill Charlie, and I wouldn't be around to even know! I have to go back, at least for him. I might even be able to lure her out of hiding."

Edward opened his mouth to speak once more, and once again, Alice shut him up. Many of the guard, Corin included, was now staring at Bella curiously. They couldn't tell if it was bravery or idiocy that drove the girl to fight with the Volturi Queens about her own safety, but either way, it was quite entertaining to watch.

"You being bait is the thing we certainly don't want," Sulpicia interrupted. "And even if there was no danger, we'd want you here. We desire not just to protect you, but get to know you as well, and we have an entire life to catch up on."

"How about this; once the threat is dealt with and I'm done with my junior year, I'll come visit. We could spend the whole summer together, doing whatever the three of you want." Bella knew that she would come to regret the "whatever the three vampire queens want" thing would be a bad idea, but she didn't care; she was desperate. She couldn't leave Charlie in danger like that, and she couldn't make him suffer, wondering if she was alive or dead, either.

"Give us one reason why we shouldn't simply keep you here," Sulpicia said, tightening her grip on her daughter as she stared down at Bella.

"Because then I'll come to resent you," Bella replied simply. "You three might be my vampires moms and all…" Wow, did that feel weird to say. "But I want to protect my human dad too. And if I end up stuck here, unable to protect him, then I'll do everything I can to escape from here and get to him."

Corin nearly laughed out loud-and probably earning herself another smack to the head at least-at the idea of the skinny, weak human protecting anybody. She doubted the girl could even properly protect a mouse from a cat. But something stopped her; the determination in Bella Swan's eyes. While the human was weak and would be easy to subdue, Corin had a feeling that girl would be quite a hellcat to put up with. There was certainly some fire behind those brown eyes of hers.

Sulpicia saw the fire too, and knew just how serious the human was. Taking a deep breath, she did something that went against her very nature. "Very well, we will allow you to leave." Bella brightened and was about to thank the queen as Athenodora and Didyme turned to stare at Sulpicia in disbelief. But Sulpicia wasn't done. "However, you will not go back alone. My mates and I can't leave Volterra for a long period of time, because of all the work we have to do. But Alec and Jane will go with you."

 _Hah! Sucks to be them,_ Corin thought with a snicker, catching Sulpicia's attention.

The queen raised an eyebrow as she came to another decision. "And of course, Corin will be accompanying you as a guard as well."

As if in sync, Bella and Corin's gazes met, both girls' eyes wide with disbelief.

"No way!" Bella protested at the same time that Corin exclaimed, "You can't be serious! No way am I being put on babysitting duty!"

The three queens narrowed their eyes at Corin, the epitome of power that made it clear Corin wasn't allowed to argue.

"Bella and the Cullens, along with the three guard members I have named, will be leaving tomorrow. My decision is final," Sulpicia stated.

Edward, Bella, Corin, Didyme, and Athenodora believed otherwise. Each and every one of them was determined to change those plans. By any means necessary.

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 _Author's Note: I know, I know. Not much happened and the ending to the chapter kinda sucked, but I felt it was necessary. Hopefully you guys still enjoyed it._


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Damn, it has been way too long since I updated this story. But hey, here it is. Thanks for waiting so long guys, you're all awesome._

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Chapter 3

It seemed that Athenodora's and Didyme's schemes to change Sulpicia's mind didn't go well. Sulpicia didn't even consider a different option regarding their daughter, even when Didyme flashed her breasts at the other queen. And so it soon became time for them to go, and everyone could only do their best to ignore the tantrum Didyme was having right there on the floor about the situation.

"We will see you soon, Isabella," Sulpicia said, staring seriously at Bella, who was trying not to uncomfortably look at the floor where Didyme was lying. Seriously, this was one of the Queens everyone feared? "Every vacation and every chance you get, you will come back here. We need to get to know our daughter."

"Yeah, I will," Bella said, and despite how crazy the last day of her life had been and the fact that she had to watch an ancient vampire acting like a child, she meant it. She already felt a connection to the three women.

"Also, once the problem is dealt with and you are done with high school, you will come back here immediately. To be turned and join us as the princess of Volterra," Athenodora said, clearly grumpy with the way everything had turned out. She had tried quite a bit of persuasion on their daughter, but Bella had made it clear that she wanted to finish her education. It had taken a lot of arguing between them, something the queen wasn't used to anyone doing outside of her mates, to get Bella to agree to come back and be turned after high school in the first place to be turned by them. If Bella had things her way, she'd be waiting forever for that moronic, prissy fool of a vampire who in no way deserved their daughter to turn her; something that Athenodora knew, without even peering into Edward's mind like Sulpicia had done, would be something that would never happen without outside influence.

Speaking of that little prick, he once again felt the need to speak up, and he dared to even clearly argue with her, right there in front of her mates and her guard. "That is not going to happen. Bella will be safe with our family, and there really is no reason to return."

Athenodora and Sulpicia snarled. Didyme even hopped up from the floor to grab Edward by the neck as she glared into his eyes.

"You listen here, boy. This is our daughter here, and you're lucky we're leaving her in your family's care. You're even luckier to be alive, as if Bella had cared any less about you, we'd have burned you the second we learned of all the danger you put her in," Didyme hissed. "Don't think, for even one second, that you have any right to even speak to any of us again. Not a word. Understood?"

"Um, Didyme?" Bella asked hesitantly, placing a hand on the queen's arm, as she knew better than to get worked up at the moment, even if it was for Edward.

Didyme's face immediately brightened as she turned back to Bella. "Oh, Bella, my dear, you know you don't have to be hesitant around me!" she exclaimed. Dropping Edward like a piece of trash, she whirled to her daughter and picked her up in a dangerously strong hug. "Oh, my child, I can't believe mean old Sulpicia is letting you leave. I can't wait until that little bitch who dared to threaten you is slaughtered in the most agonizing way possible." As she said this, she focused on Jane and Alec. "You heard me, didn't you? I want her to suffer."

"Of course, my queen," Alec and Jane said as one with a quick but low bow.

Bella, who was once again drowning in cleavage, was tapping Didyme's arm as fast as she could, trying to gain her attention. Edward watched tensely, his eyes hard, and it took mere seconds for him to open his mouth to tell Didyme to release the human.

However, Alice quickly put her hand over his mouth.

 _She meant it,_ the pixie vampire thought towards her brother. _One more word out of you, even if you try to apologize, and she'll rip you to shreds._

Holding in the desire to growl, he had no choice but to stay silent. Despite his tough front, he did admittedly gulp a little as he saw Alice's vision of Didyme tearing him apart before he even got a sentence out.

"Now, that's enough, love," Sulpicia said as she intervened, distracting Didyme with a kiss so she could pull Bella from the dark haired queen's grip. "You really do need to keep in mind that humans need to breathe."

Didyme pouted in response, crossing her arms over her chest, but then realized that Bella was indeed gasping for breath. Oops.

"My queens, if we don't hurry…" Alec started hesitantly, more than a little afraid to finish his sentence.

"Right. It is time for you to go, I suppose," Athenodora grumbled as she plucked Bella from Sulpicia's arms. Putting a hand on each of Bella's shoulders, she stared seriously into the nervous human's face. "If you need anything, call us. We will be there as quickly as we can. And do not worry about how trivial the need is. You're our daughter."

"Athenodora, don't steal her. It was my turn," Sulpicia complained, reaching out to grab the girl. Athenodora wasn't ready to let Bella go, however, and they started to compete in a gentle tug of war with their daughter as they glared at each other.

"Let go," Athenodora growled. "I wasn't done."

"You took her from me first," Sulpicia replied, her gaze steely. She was not going to back down.

Oh, Athenodora was definitely going to make Sulpicia pay for this later. Preferably with the use of Didyme holding her down so Athenodora would be free to do what she wanted to punish Sulpicia without the other queen able to escape. Although Didyme definitely needed to be punished too for her behavior, and if she helped Athenodora with Sulpicia, then it would be hard to find a way to restrain Didyme even after Athenodora was done with Sulpicia. After all, Sulpicia wouldn't willingly turn around and help Athenodora after what Athenodora would do to her. If anything, Sulpicia would try to team up with Didyme to dominate the third queen, and it would be hard to come out on top in that situation.

As Athenodora was distracted by images of her naked mates and strategies for being able to fuck them both into submission without her mates attempting the reverse, Sulpicia was easily able to pull Bella out of Athenodora's grasp.

"Don't worry, Bella," Sulpicia said as Bella stood before her, trying not to rub her arms too obviously. "Your arms wouldn't have stretched even an inch, even after all that. Now, about your protection. We have given you the very best in our guard. They're also well disciplined and have never failed a mission, regardless of how they might seem to you…" Sulpicia trailed off, realizing that the particular vampire she was speaking of wasn't even in the room. Frowning, Sulpicia demanded, "Where is Corin?"

Despite being on the other side of the palace, Corin heard Sulpicia's voice. If she had blood, it would have run cold, as she sensed her own gorgeous face was in danger. And that was something that just wouldn't do, especially as the longer she tried to wait it out, the more her face would probably end up being damaged.

Abandoning her plans to hide from the Queens until the Cullens and their human had no choice but to leave without her, Corin flashed across the palace and into the throne room.

"Right here, my queen," Corin said, trying to sound casual. Like she hadn't planned on escaping babysitting duty despite the wishes of her Queens.

"Corin. If you shirk your duty…" Athenodora growled, eyes narrowing as she glared at the vampire. She didn't even need to finish her threat for the other guard members of the room to start quaking in their boots, affected by Athenodora's menace. Corin, however, only frowned and looked away, crossing her arms over her chest as if to fend off a sudden chill.

"I know," Corin said, her voice soft, but firm at the same time. "I will do my duty to my utmost ability." And Corin would, too. Despite how she acted, she owed the Queens quite a bit, and once she was actually on a mission, she would do whatever it took to complete it. If only this particular mission wouldn't be so long and boring.

As the three queens converged on Bella to say their last goodbyes, all attempting to hug her at once, Bella couldn't help but stare at Corin. The vampire looked more serious than Bella had ever seen her, almost like she was brooding; her blood red eyes were distant, jaw set, and for some reason, it was as if the shadows of the room landed on her just to make her look as sexy and mysterious as possible.

Corin, sensing Bella's gaze, turned and caught her staring. She quirked an eyebrow and smirked as Bella flushed, but the human couldn't bring herself to look away. "Can I help you, princess?" Corin asked, stressing the word _princess_ in a mocking way.

Flushing, Bella felt a swell of anger she hadn't realized she had in her until she met Corin. "Don't call me that!" Bella snapped in reply, hands unconsciously curling into fists like she was about to punch the vampire, regardless of the damage to her own body.

This got the attention of the three queens who all frowned at Bella.

"But you are a princess, Isabella," Sulpicia said, smoothing the human's hair before kissing her temple. "You must get used to it."

"Just know that Corin tries all of us," Didyme added. "And that as our daughter, you can write up a list of her indiscretions so we can punish her on return."

"I have no idea how she's lived this long," Athenodora muttered with a huff, shaking her head. "Really, if she wasn't so useful, I'm sure my mates would have allowed me to kill her and that smart mouth of hers long ago."

"Aw, I love you too, my Queens," Corin said with a wild grin, transforming from mysterious woman to what appeared to be a wild child in less than an instant. She then focused on Bella, her grin taking a lecherous edge as she added, "But as your daughter, shouldn't she doll out my punishments? I'm sure I can endure a spanking from her, even daily if necessary."

Bella opened a mouth to retort, but couldn't come up with a proper reply. Thankfully, she didn't have to, as Edward snarled at Corin, his need to claim Bella as his and remind Corin that she shouldn't even be looking at Bella in that way overwhelming his common sense.

Without even glancing in his direction, Didyme reached out towards Alec, picked up the surprised vampire with one hand by the back of his cloak, and chucked Alec as hard as she could right at Edward's head.

Twisting in midair, Alec managed to right himself enough to land on his feet. Only, instead of his feet landing on the floor, he landed right on Edward's face. Alice had the forethought to dance out of the way in case Didyme decided to throw Jane as well, seeing the debate in Didyme's mind as her vision switched back and forth between everything calming down or another unwilling projectile vampire coming towards Edward in the next few seconds. Thankfully, that never came as Edward's howl of pain as his face crunched seemed to cool Didyme's wrath. Not to mention also cause Athenodora and Corin to burst into loud laughter, almost as mirrors of each other.

"Edward!" Bella exclaimed, rushing from the huddle the queens had made around her so she could make it to Edward's side. Like she actually had the ability to help fix him or help him despite being weak and human. Alec was in her way, and for a second she thought she might have to try and fight past him. But Alec seemed unconcerned with her approach, dusting himself off as he stepped out of Bella's way and towards Jane, who then felt the need to inspect him for any Edward germs that might be contagious. The witch girl didn't want Alec to end up with a little of Edward rubbed off on him, after all.

"Was that really necessary, love?" Sulpicia asked wryly, despite having enjoyed the scene just as much as her two mates and Corin had.

"Of course it was. The boy is just lucky he had only growled. If he had actually spoken, I would have done something much worse," Didyme muttered petulantly. Then she called out, "Thank you Alec, you make a great long range weapon when necessary."

Alec's eyebrows rose, but he composed himself with a nod. "It was my pleasure, my Queen."

"But perhaps next time you might give him a little warning," Jane added, her voice soft and suggestive. Of course, had anyone else thrown her brother besides one of the Queens, they'd be suffering or dead by then. However, even in the Queens' craziest moments, Jane held nothing but respect and loyalty for them.

"And risk giving my target warning as well? Of course not," Didyme sniffed.

"Well with that, I'm afraid it really is time to go," Sulpicia said with a sigh. She glided over to Bella. "Oh, for the gods' sake, the boy will be fine. His face is already healing, and his sister is right there and will know if he needs anything," she said, swatting gently at Bella's hands to stop her from fretting over Edward. She then pulled Bella into one last hug. "Now, we will see you soon. Safe travels."

"Group hug!" Didyme suddenly exclaimed. She ran over, dragging Athenodora with her, and Bella was once again engulfed and held tightly.

Once released, Alec, Jane, and Corin joined Bella, standing close. Jane and Alec were stiff and alert as if something was about to attack, while Corin appeared completely at ease. Yet there was a sharp, dangerous look in her eye. Not just the look of a predator, but a look that reminded Bella of an alpha wolf protecting its pups. It seemed completely at odds with the woman Bella had come to know so far, and it made her shiver, her heart quickening in her chest. Yet despite her body's reactions, what Bella felt wasn't fear.

"I know you three will perform your duties perfectly," Sulpicia said, reaching out to touch the cheeks of the three guard members, one by one, then stopped at Bella, holding the human's face in both hands. She seemed to search Bella's eyes for a long moment, then nodded. And for some reason, even though she had absolutely no idea what was going on or what Sulpicia had been looking for, Bella nodded back.

Bella guessed that was the right answer, as Sulpicia released her with a faint smile and glided towards the other two queens, taking the hands of both of them.

"You may go," the three queens said as one.

The door behind the little band of five vampires and one human princess opened, and the three guard members led them out of the throne room, clearly protecting Bella while ignoring the two Cullens.

As the doors closed behind them, Sulpicia turned to Athenodora. "So, you had plans to restrain and fuck me, did you?"

"Of course," Athenodora replied, red eyes quickly turning to black. They burned as she stared at Sulpicia and Didyme, noting how Sulpicia pulled Didyme into her side with an arm around her waist, only to stroke up and down Didyme's side, lingering on her breast, making the dark haired queen purr.

Sulpicia smirked. "Good. I'm looking forward to it."

"That makes two of us," Didyme murmured as she reached towards Athenodora, trailing her fingers down Athenodora's neck. "Or were you planning on leaving me out?"

"Never," Athenodora snarled, catching Didyme's hand and taking a step towards the other queens, getting into their personal space so that their bodies brushed up against each other's.

Realizing what was happening, the other guard members immediately dispersed, knowing the punishment that would await them if they saw what would happen next. The last guard managed to escape just in time, as a second later Athenodora pounced and proceeded in shredding off the clothes of her two mates. It was there that they would spend the next day or two, as the entire guard pretended they couldn't hear the feral sounds that echoed through the palace walls.


End file.
